Instructions: Keep it clean. No real names. My advice is to stick with the plot diagram we discussed (short story elements handout). Activating Circumstance, Rising Action, Climax, Denouement. Consider starting with Setting (time, place). You may write as much as you want, but remember it may be subsequently edited for grammar, fluency and cohesiveness.
It's one of those November nights when everything comes alive. The rain is sprinkling on the trees and in the puddles; everything smells fresh. The scenery glistens, and the lush green engulfs me as I walk by. It's one of the older neighborhoods, with beautiful, tall stone buildings and old-fashioned street lamps leaning over the cold streets. There aren't any actual houses, just apartment buildings covered in luscious ivy. It's just on the edge of the university campus, so there are paths everywhere, all leading to various courtyards. It's very quiet. In the rain, everything is dark grey, almost black, shiny and slick. Light spills from the street lamps and on to to sidewalk.
A calico cat struggles through the bushes and pads down the illuminated sidewalk. Guided by it's nose, it tip toes around the puddles and enters one of the courtyards. The cat stops by the babbling fountain, bending down to gently lick the body lying there.
I shrink back, horrified. It's a young woman, her auburn hair spread on the stone, her white coat stained scarlet. Her eyes seem to be open, an almost comical expression of surprise caught on her pale face. I listen for any noise, but the only sound is the splash of raindrops on the trees. No, wait, was that a -- Suddenly, the cat mews forlornly, then looks directly into my eyes. That's all it takes to send me rushing back into the street. The minute I get into my suite, I lock the door. My sister stares at me. "Tess! What's the matter with you? Your eyes are as big as saucers." I can't stop myself; I start yelling. "Sarah! There's a woman outside, she's all bloody and--" She cuts me off. "Are you crazy? Greg's not asleep yet!" she whispers angrily. A small head of black hair appears from behind the bedroom door, then my younger brother's huge dark eyes are peering out at me. "What happened?" he asks, scared.
“Nothing.” I reply with a fake smile, trying to soothe the young boy. He stares at me with wide eyes. Green, exactly the same colour as the eyes of that unfortunate woman’s. I shudder and close my eyes. Images of blood-stained auburn hair glistening in the dark invade my mind, but I can’t think about that now. Greg is still staring at me. He knows something is wrong. The boy is too observant for his own good. “What’s wrong?” asks Sarah. Startled, I turn to her; I'd completely forgotten about her. “Nothing,” I repeat. That is a lie, I think they know it too, but I can’t tell them what I saw. This is way too dangerous. This world is way too dangerous and I have to protect them from it. Greg’s eyes are burning a hole into my skull. He lifts an eyebrow, just like dad used to, and looks at me worriedly. “Nothing is wrong,” I mutter again and shoo them both off to bed. They don’t need to know about this. I have to protect them. “Nothing is wrong,” I tell myself one last time before I too head to bed.
Even after what seems like hours of tossing and turning on my feathered bed, I find myself drifting back to the scene of the murder. The victim's frightened expression appears when I close my eyes. The image of her bloody, broken body lying on the cement continues to haunt me incessantly. Her green eyes are filled with sadness and despair. They make me feel cold, as if I can feel the same shock and pain she felt at the moment of her death.
My eyelids begin to feel heavy, like there are invisible weights pulling down upon them. Slowly, the rhythm of the falling rain puts me to sleep, and the saddening images begin to fade away.
I wake up to a loud thump. Frightened, I slip lower under my blanket and look around carefully in search of what might have caused the noise. I look at the night clock sitting on the wooden bedside table; it is two thirty. I tilt my head and see the moonlight gently illuminating my room. Meowwww. What was that? My mind runs a thousand miles, and countless questions start spinning in my head. Suddenly, a dark figure flashes before my eyes. Unsure of what it is, I get up and crawl toward the window. To my surprise, nothing is there when I peek through the glass door to my balcony. As I slip back to the bed, I am interrupted once again. Meowwww. I bravely turn around, and there it is: the calico cat at the crime scene.
"Ahhhhh!!!" I let out a scream, but shortly stop myself, clasping my mouth shut with trembling hands. I shouldn’t wake anyone.
The bright yellow eyes gaze directly into mine. The cat soundlessly jumps down to the floor and starts to draw near. As I see the cat closing our distance, I instinctively edge away from the cat, stumbling over my feet and landing hard on the carpeted floor. My heart races with fear and surprise. 'Why of all places is this cat sitting out on my balcony?' I think. Raising myself back up, I see that the cat is now wondering how to get past the obstacle separating us. It’s standing up on its hind legs, scratching anxiously at the glass door, still gazing intently at me. I stand there, frozen, unable to think of what to do. Then, a glint of light catches my eyes; a silver name tag is dangling around its neck.
Knowing that the glass door is firmly locked, I approach it. Carefully kneeling down, I read the letters clearly etched onto its name tag – Amber. Is this cat somehow related to the woman at the crime scene? What does it want with me?
The door suddenly opens and Sarah comes barging in. "Tess! I thought I heard a noise. What are you doing up so late?" she asks. "And-- whoa. Is that a cat?"
"Ye..ye..yeah," I say hesitantly. I know then that I would have to explain the horrific tales of the night to my sister. "Sarah, I don't know what to do, I have to call the police but I am so frightened. Please help me!" I plead. "Well, I would help you if you told me what the heck was going on!" she snaps. I tell her everything. As I finish telling her the whole story, including the bit about the weird cat, I glance over to the window, and nearly faint. There's a smudge of blood on the glass. "That must be from the cat...right?" I stutter. Things run through my head like a slideshow, but it's in slow-motion. I know I'm not going to sleep tonight, and neither is my sister.
*
It's raining outside my window in the morning. I don't remember what happened. Did I fall back asleep? The last thing I remember is talking to Sarah, watching the cat on my balcony. Wait! The cat! I look back outside my window...and the cat isn't there. Now I wonder whether it was real or a dream. I begin searching for clues to that question.
I walk out from my room, and go to the kitchen to get some juice. I open the fridge, and get the shock of my life. The calico cat jumps out of the fridge, and it glides over the floor, staring directly into my eyes. Gradually, its shape changes into a blurry shadow. I gasp and turn away, then turn back, mesmerized. Why does this shadow seem so familiar?
The shadow becomes more distinct, and I soon find out why it feels like I've seen it before. It's my dead mother! "Mom!" I cry out.
Sarah walks in, annoyed, "Why are you yelling? I need to stud--" Her face goes through a hundred expressions when she sees the shadow. Silent tears stream down her cheeks.
"Mom," Sarah whispers, "I missed you so much. Why did you leave us without saying anything?"
I try my best not to cry. I love Mom so much. I put a hand on Sarah's shoulder. I know that I have to appear reassuring to my brother and sister. I have to protect them from danger. I must pull myself together, though my heart feels as if it is bleeding...
At this time, I hear the sound of someone approaching. Greg is standing in the doorway with his teddy bear, watching us. His eyes ask the question.
"Do you still remember her? She is our mother!" Sarah is heaving with great sobs now.
I hug Sarah. "Don't worry. See? Mom is here, and she is even smiling at us."
Greg seems confused, "Where's Mom? I only see a toy. It's a toy plane, the one I asked you guys for."
Sarah suddenly stops crying, and turns her tear-stained face to me.
My mind goes blank, and I can feel Sarah grabbing my arm tightly. Beads of sweat roll slowly down her forehead. She is too scared to say a word. I try my best to stay rational and think carefully about what just happened. Why did I see Mom, but Greg only a toy plane? One thing I know for sure is that there must be something mysterious about the cat. I keep reminding myself to at least appear cool-headed and look for the relationship between the two images of the calico cat. "Mom and me, Greg and the toy," I murmur.
Suddenly, I have it. "I got it! I got it!" I shout, full of excitement. "You got what?" Sarah asks curiously. "Guess what! I think I know why Greg doesn't see the same things as us. It's because the cat can change into the thing we want the most!" Sarah looks at me with an unfathomable expression. She won't believe me if she doesn't experience it for herself. Sarah seems to think about something. I suspect that my sister's thoughts are the same as mine. I make eye contact with her and we run out of the kitchen together. Greg still doesn't realize what happened just now, but I know, I know. I am going to catch that calico cat.
I don't realize that it's dark already until I open the front door. As I take my first step onto the ice-cold porch, I see a faint object within the shadows of the bushes move slightly, then disappear into the darkness. “Where are you going?” Sarah yells after me. “Don’t worry about me, just make sure that Greg takes his nap!” I respond as I prepare to cross the silent street. “I hope I’m right” I murmur. Each step I take intrudes on the silence that fills the neighbourhood. Cursing under my breath, I stand on the sidewalk across from my house and slowly turn my head. I can see the lights emitting from my house. I hope I know what I’m doing.
There is nothing else I want more in my life. I want to see my mother again. I will catch that calico cat, no matter what. Shivering as I walk on the side of the road, I continue to think to myself. It was then that it strikes me; I know where I have to go.
Everything is masked in a pure grey colour from the rain and fog. Big drops of cold rainwater keep falling on me. Of course, I don't have an umbrella, but it is not the time to care about that right now. I make haste down the street, following that black shadow shuttle back and forth between the streets and the brush. It is so fast that I don't even get a chance to get close to the calico cat. Several times, I lose the cat. However, every time when I wonder where it has gone, the cat appears again and again. It's as if the cat is leading me somewhere. After a long while of chasing the cat, the street becomes familiar. I suddenly realize that I am on the path towards the babbling fountain where the young woman was lying. I become even more horrified. My legs refuse to move quickly and my whole body is shivering. As I slowly approach the fountain, I see the body still lying there. The calico cat is licking the body. Few people pass by here normally, and it seems that those who did in the past day did not realize there was a body lying there.
Why didn't they see her? Isn't she in plain sight? When I reach the body, I stand over it, watching. Then something dawns on me; where is the blood? When I look over at the cat, it starts changing into a pool of blood near the body. What the heck is wrong with me?! I immediately focus my mind on my mother. I focus on my memories of her and hope that the calico cat will start changing with my thoughts. To my relief, it does! I see my mother, standing in front of me. No, I must be making this up; there is no way this is actually happening. Then I hear her voice, so pure, like the sound of wind chimes. "Honey, I've missed you," she says.
The tears, pour there and then.
"I've missed you too, Mom!" Seeing my mom is like a irreplaceable memory to me, and I sob uncontrollably.
"How have you been?" she asks in that soft voice that makes me think of vanilla cream. I can't believe it, my own flesh and blood mother is talking to me again!
"Things have been great! I mean, my marks have been a bit low these days but things are great right now!" She looks at me, a kind of distant look in her eyes, caring yet remote.
"I'm glad," she says. Why isn't she more expressive? I mean, seeing your daughter for the first time ever since you left a while ago should make any parent happy or delighted... I think.
"So how have you been, Mom?" I ask. "You look great and you've lost weight. You can finally fit into those jeans you had trouble wearing!" She keeps smiling that solemn smile.
By now normal people would have assume something's wrong or try to think of a spiritual answer to this, but I don't care, it is my mother! However...
"So, Mom, where have you been, why haven't you called, why didn't you give us a message or something?"
Her lips turn down and she replies, "I'm sorry, but I've been busy for quite some time now."
I'm starting to feel ticked off now. How can she say that so casually?
"But why didn't you call!? Sarah was worried and Greg is too young to even understand, but eventually he'll want to know!" She just stands there, looking delicate, and then frowns slightly.
"I cannot answer, I am sorry." I definitely feel irritated with her at this point.
"Why not!? Just tell me! Please... I'll understand." The next thing that happens is a chain of revelations that shake my heart and jerk my soul.
She touches me.
Or rather, she tries to touch me, but when her hand should to touch my forehead, it goes through me.
Right there and then, I realize.
Why didn't I see it earlier? Seeing that dead woman's corpse, me and Sarah seeing Mom at home, Greg seeing that toy and everyone not seeing that dead woman's body and then me seeing my mom now.
I wanted to know something while I was chasing after that cat.
I wanted to know, to see if my mother was dead or alive earlier, then later just wished to see my mother alive.
Now I realize it.
What I was looking at...
Was the body of my mother in her last few moments of her beautiful life.
The rain is pouring now. It drips down my nose and hangs onto my eyelashes like dew on grass. I can't see anything, but the silhouette of my mother is gone. I'm all alone and there is nothing left to do but go home. My body feels fatigued, and my senses are numb from the cold night, but my mind is calm. Thinking about my mother has always angered me, but after tonight I will let go of my anger. I'll never know what had happened to her after she left us, but watching her die with my own eyes was heart breaking. After years of empty hope I had given up on my mother and anger had replaced my hope. I self pitied myself and my siblings, and my selfishness blinded me from seeing from a different perspective. Tonight's strange events may seem unbelievable, but it doesn't matter what others think since I know the real story now.
As I get back home, Sarah is at the door waiting for my return, together with the sensitive Greg.
"He just won't go to sleep," Sarah sighs, glancing at him.
"Tell me what happened, Tess," Greg says calmly, his eyes gazing at me as if he can tell if I lie to him. He's too smart, I think. Knowing I won't get away easily this time, I decide to give away the truth.
Slowly, I start.
"All the things I told you about our mom were fake. Our mother is dead." I pause, checking Greg's expression. To my surprise, he doesn't seem shocked at all, although he looks sad.
After a while of solemness, he raises his head, focusing his eyes on mine once more, imploring me to go on.
"I'm sorry that I've been lying to you this entire time; I only wanted you to have a happy childhood!" My calmness breaks into a sob. "I'm sorry that I shoved you away from time to time. I know that you are too smart, I just did not want you to know the truth."
To my surprise, Greg looks straight up into my eyes with a smile on his lips. He is not at all scared, or even surprised. After a couple seconds, he finally speaks in this strange, imperturbable manner. "Sister, have you ever considered the irony of life, and the difference between dream and reality?"
"What?" I know he is an abnormal child, but this is just...
"Think about tonight. You saw numerous people walking near the fountain on a stormy night at 3 o'clock. You saw the magic cat appear and disappear; you desperately wanted to catch it and yet you suddenly forgot about it? You saw Mom's dead body, yet you did not realize it was her. You knew that Mom was dead for a long time, yet you were still angry with her for the past few years? And the cat shows us the image we want to see the most, yet it shows you the image of our mother lying dead on the ground? Think about it, sis. Did what you see tonight really exist, or was it all from your dream?"
"But how do you know they are not real?"
"By waking up. Tess! Tess, I'm hungry!"
I wake with a start. The sun is shining outside, pouring bright beams of light into the room. The sky is blue, without any trace of cloud. Greg is jumping up and down on the bed, laughing innocently. I laugh too. "It'll be alright," I tell myself. I get up from the bed, and walk into the kitchen. Sarah is watching a spinning peg-top on the kitchen table, and greets me warmly as I step into the kitchen with a gigantic smile.
"What's up?" she asks.
"Everything's fine." I hug her and Greg.
The peg does not stop spinning.
I watch the peg as it keeps on spinning faster and faster. Am I still sleeping? I ask myself. I'm sure I just woke up a few minutes ago. There is no way I am still in a dream.
I run to the washroom as quickly as I can, trying to wake myself up with some cold water. As I turn the faucet on, a thick red liquid flows out. IT SMELLS LIKE BLOOD! Now I'm really starting to get freaked out. This is not happening to me. There is no way that the tap water is blood, so I reach for the tap to have a taste. I never knew that blood could taste so bad. There are chills running down my spine. I quickly run out to call for my brother and sister.
"GUYS COME TO THE WASHROOM NOW!" I yell. "Turn the tap on Sarah."
Quizzically she turns the tap to the right. Clear, normal water comes from it. But how? I could have sworn that it had been blood only a minute before!
"Um, are you sure you're feeling okay?" she asks.
"Yeah, sure, I'm fine."
I don't really want to ask her about yesterday; had it all been nothing but a dream, or was some part of it reality? And if it all was nothing but a dream, then why am I still being haunted by these premonitions? The cat is gone, for now, but I remember its ghostly body, transforming into my mother when I wanted her the most. If the cat shows what we want the most, then why on Earth was there blood pouring from the tap, and why could only I see it this time?
Sarah has gone to do her own thing by now, but Greg is still sitting there, perched on the corner of the edge of the bathtub, staring at me. "Are you sure you're okay, Kitty?"
“Yeah, I’m fine, just a little dizzy.” I answer. My brother continues to stare at me without saying a single word. I think this might be another dream. I have to find out what this was about, so I ask him, “What’s the meaning of the cat?” He avoids my question by asking me another question. “Do you believe that what you are seeing is the true world?” I don't say anything. Suddenly, I am transferred to a white world. There are no washrooms, no houses, no people, and no end. “Now,” I shout, “What is this place?!” I shout before my brother finishes his question. “Do you believe this is the real world?” I try to escape from this place, so I keep on running. But there is no end to this world, I give up. “This is your dream,” Greg explains. “Everything you saw from your mother’s body was your dream, but it was a sign for you to figure out the reason for your mother’s death, and the secret of your family. It is your responsiblity to do it because your mother did for her entire life, now is your turn.”
Once again, I turn on the tap. Water flows out, clear water. 'I must have been hallucinating,' I think to myself.
"Oh Greg, look outside the window! What a cute cat out there! Let's go play with it!" 'A cat?! No! This cannot be true!' I shake my head.
"Sarah! Greg! Don't go to the cat! It's dangerous!!" I shout out as I run out of the bathroom into the backyard. Where is the cat? There is no cat! Not only is the cat gone, Sarah and Greg are gone too!! They have disappeared with the cat! Oh no! My lovely Sarah and Greg! How will I survive without you guys?? I must do something! I must find that cat! But how? Where is the lead? Right! Sherlock Holmes! I will ask him to help me find Sarah and Greg, he is able to solve any mystery!
"Wake up!! Kitty!! I'm so hungry!"
"Where is Mr. Holmes?!"
"What Holmes? You are not living in Conan Doyle's story!" It takes me a few seconds before I realize that it is Sarah who is talking to me now....so it was a dream after all....a dream within another dream...
I thought I could never get out of these dreams, because similar things had happened to me over and over again. Until now, that calico cat comes to my balcony and speaks to me. “Your mother wants me to do this. She is suppressed under our leader Sekhmet because your mother had broke our unforgivable law. She fell in love with your dad who is a brilliant artist and a truly gentleman.” The calico cat blinks her gigantic green eyes and continues, “Sadly, your mother’s mission was only to pay the debt from your father’s gratitude, not to live happily ever after with him. So there was no way for her to stay and raise you." “Then why didn’t she tell me any of this？What kind of debt she needed to pay for my father? Didn't they know each other from college?” I ask anxiously. The calico cat sighs and raises her head. “It was all because your father’s humane adoption of an all-white cat which was your mother’s incarnation. She was fascinated by your father’s talents on arts and his impeccable personality. Therefore she beseeched for Sekhmet’s exception to become a woman who could help with your father’s career. Your mother’s love to your father had augmented even more after they lived together, but Sekhmet thought your mother needed to go back and work for her. So she made this scene where people all saw your mother as dead. Now, kid, listen to me. You need to pack all your stuff and run away with me as soon as possible. You are the only hope of your mother, she needs you right now. Only your blood could get her out of Seknmet’s evil hands.” The calico cat wrinkles her brows with a worry face. “How about my brother and sister? They will be so freaked out if they find I am not in my room tomorrow morning!” I ask in a hurry. “They will freak out, only because they were assigned by Sekhmet to make you think anything to do with your mother are just dreams!” yells the cat, “Now follow me and we will go rescue your mother.” I look up at the crescent moon outside the balcony; everything is so gloomy, like my future. But I have no choice but to keep going...
But then and there, I stop myself. I collapse onto my floor and begin to cry. This has all been so confusing, I don't know what's real anymore. I sit here for a very long time, crying and murmuring, images flashing into my mind over and over again. What is real? I ask myself. I just don't know anymore. I lull myself into a deep sleep by sobbing and everything gets drowned out. I don't want to dream again, I just want it all to make sense. I tell myself this over and over again, until everything goes black. "Come with me" I hear the cat say. "Tess? Tess! Where are you?" I hear my sister scream. "I miss her, Sarah." Greg cries. "Come back to me, my precious daughter!" My mother begs. Voices swirl into my unconscious thoughts threatening to take over my vulnerable, sleeping mind, threatening to further entrance me into this never ending madness. Until I hear one voice, so clear above the others. "What's the truth?" It's my own voice, in my thoughts. And then...
I wake up. I'm lying on my floor. I can hear Sarah humming in the room next door. I can hear Greg laughing. I smile to myself. I know what's real. Losing my mother was hard, my mind will never get over it and it constantly tries to bring her back. But I know what's real now, it's what I have with me still. My brother and sister. They need me and they love me, they sustain me and I will do the same for them, even if it means putting aside my confused feelings for my mother so that they will be alright. My mother would've wanted me to take care of them, and that is what I will do.
Sarah comes into my room and smiles at me.
"Are you alright?" she asks me.
"Yeah, I think I am. Better than I've been in awhile." I reply.
Greg enters the room and bombards me with a massive hug. Sarah laughs and joins in. This is what's real.
Instructions: Keep it clean. No real names. My advice is to stick with the plot diagram we discussed (short story elements handout). Activating Circumstance, Rising Action, Climax, Denouement. Consider starting with Setting (time, place). You may write as much as you want, but remember it may be subsequently edited for grammar, fluency and cohesiveness.
It's one of those November nights when everything comes alive. The rain is sprinkling on the trees and in the puddles; everything smells fresh. The scenery glistens, and the lush green engulfs me as I walk by. It's one of the older neighborhoods, with beautiful, tall stone buildings and old-fashioned street lamps leaning over the cold streets. There aren't any actual houses, just apartment buildings covered in luscious ivy. It's just on the edge of the university campus, so there are paths everywhere, all leading to various courtyards. It's very quiet. In the rain, everything is dark grey, almost black, shiny and slick. Light spills from the street lamps and on to to sidewalk.
A calico cat struggles through the bushes and pads down the illuminated sidewalk. Guided by it's nose, it tip toes around the puddles and enters one of the courtyards. The cat stops by the babbling fountain, bending down to gently lick the body lying there.
I shrink back, horrified. It's a young woman, her auburn hair spread on the stone, her white coat stained scarlet. Her eyes seem to be open, an almost comical expression of surprise caught on her pale face. I listen for any noise, but the only sound is the splash of raindrops on the trees. No, wait, was that a --
Suddenly, the cat mews forlornly, then looks directly into my eyes. That's all it takes to send me rushing back into the street. The minute I get into my suite, I lock the door. My sister stares at me.
"Tess! What's the matter with you? Your eyes are as big as saucers."
I can't stop myself; I start yelling. "Sarah! There's a woman outside, she's all bloody and--" She cuts me off.
"Are you crazy? Greg's not asleep yet!" she whispers angrily. A small head of black hair appears from behind the bedroom door, then my younger brother's huge dark eyes are peering out at me.
"What happened?" he asks, scared.
“Nothing.” I reply with a fake smile, trying to soothe the young boy. He stares at me with wide eyes. Green, exactly the same colour as the eyes of that unfortunate woman’s. I shudder and close my eyes. Images of blood-stained auburn hair glistening in the dark invade my mind, but I can’t think about that now. Greg is still staring at me. He knows something is wrong. The boy is too observant for his own good. “What’s wrong?” asks Sarah. Startled, I turn to her; I'd completely forgotten about her. “Nothing,” I repeat. That is a lie, I think they know it too, but I can’t tell them what I saw. This is way too dangerous. This world is way too dangerous and I have to protect them from it. Greg’s eyes are burning a hole into my skull. He lifts an eyebrow, just like dad used to, and looks at me worriedly. “Nothing is wrong,” I mutter again and shoo them both off to bed. They don’t need to know about this. I have to protect them. “Nothing is wrong,” I tell myself one last time before I too head to bed.
Even after what seems like hours of tossing and turning on my feathered bed, I find myself drifting back to the scene of the murder. The victim's frightened expression appears when I close my eyes. The image of her bloody, broken body lying on the cement continues to haunt me incessantly. Her green eyes are filled with sadness and despair. They make me feel cold, as if I can feel the same shock and pain she felt at the moment of her death.
My eyelids begin to feel heavy, like there are invisible weights pulling down upon them. Slowly, the rhythm of the falling rain puts me to sleep, and the saddening images begin to fade away.
I wake up to a loud thump. Frightened, I slip lower under my blanket and look around carefully in search of what might have caused the noise. I look at the night clock sitting on the wooden bedside table; it is two thirty. I tilt my head and see the moonlight gently illuminating my room. Meowwww. What was that? My mind runs a thousand miles, and countless questions start spinning in my head. Suddenly, a dark figure flashes before my eyes. Unsure of what it is, I get up and crawl toward the window. To my surprise, nothing is there when I peek through the glass door to my balcony. As I slip back to the bed, I am interrupted once again. Meowwww. I bravely turn around, and there it is: the calico cat at the crime scene.
"Ahhhhh!!!" I let out a scream, but shortly stop myself, clasping my mouth shut with trembling hands. I shouldn’t wake anyone.
The bright yellow eyes gaze directly into mine. The cat soundlessly jumps down to the floor and starts to draw near. As I see the cat closing our distance, I instinctively edge away from the cat, stumbling over my feet and landing hard on the carpeted floor. My heart races with fear and surprise.
'Why of all places is this cat sitting out on my balcony?' I think. Raising myself back up, I see that the cat is now wondering how to get past the obstacle separating us. It’s standing up on its hind legs, scratching anxiously at the glass door, still gazing intently at me. I stand there, frozen, unable to think of what to do. Then, a glint of light catches my eyes; a silver name tag is dangling around its neck.
Knowing that the glass door is firmly locked, I approach it. Carefully kneeling down, I read the letters clearly etched onto its name tag – Amber.
Is this cat somehow related to the woman at the crime scene? What does it want with me?
The door suddenly opens and Sarah comes barging in.
"Tess! I thought I heard a noise. What are you doing up so late?" she asks. "And-- whoa. Is that a cat?"
"Ye..ye..yeah," I say hesitantly. I know then that I would have to explain the horrific tales of the night to my sister.
"Sarah, I don't know what to do, I have to call the police but I am so frightened. Please help me!" I plead.
"Well, I would help you if you told me what the heck was going on!" she snaps. I tell her everything. As I finish telling her the whole story, including the bit about the weird cat, I glance over to the window, and nearly faint. There's a smudge of blood on the glass.
"That must be from the cat...right?" I stutter. Things run through my head like a slideshow, but it's in slow-motion. I know I'm not going to sleep tonight, and neither is my sister.
*
It's raining outside my window in the morning. I don't remember what happened. Did I fall back asleep? The last thing I remember is talking to Sarah, watching the cat on my balcony. Wait! The cat! I look back outside my window...and the cat isn't there. Now I wonder whether it was real or a dream. I begin searching for clues to that question.
I walk out from my room, and go to the kitchen to get some juice. I open the fridge, and get the shock of my life. The calico cat jumps out of the fridge, and it glides over the floor, staring directly into my eyes. Gradually, its shape changes into a blurry shadow. I gasp and turn away, then turn back, mesmerized. Why does this shadow seem so familiar?
The shadow becomes more distinct, and I soon find out why it feels like I've seen it before. It's my dead mother!
"Mom!" I cry out.
Sarah walks in, annoyed, "Why are you yelling? I need to stud--" Her face goes through a hundred expressions when she sees the shadow. Silent tears stream down her cheeks.
"Mom," Sarah whispers, "I missed you so much. Why did you leave us without saying anything?"
I try my best not to cry. I love Mom so much. I put a hand on Sarah's shoulder. I know that I have to appear reassuring to my brother and sister. I have to protect them from danger. I must pull myself together, though my heart feels as if it is bleeding...
At this time, I hear the sound of someone approaching. Greg is standing in the doorway with his teddy bear, watching us. His eyes ask the question.
"Do you still remember her? She is our mother!" Sarah is heaving with great sobs now.
I hug Sarah. "Don't worry. See? Mom is here, and she is even smiling at us."
Greg seems confused, "Where's Mom? I only see a toy. It's a toy plane, the one I asked you guys for."
Sarah suddenly stops crying, and turns her tear-stained face to me.
My mind goes blank, and I can feel Sarah grabbing my arm tightly. Beads of sweat roll slowly down her forehead. She is too scared to say a word. I try my best to stay rational and think carefully about what just happened. Why did I see Mom, but Greg only a toy plane? One thing I know for sure is that there must be something mysterious about the cat. I keep reminding myself to at least appear cool-headed and look for the relationship between the two images of the calico cat.
"Mom and me, Greg and the toy," I murmur.
Suddenly, I have it. "I got it! I got it!" I shout, full of excitement.
"You got what?" Sarah asks curiously.
"Guess what! I think I know why Greg doesn't see the same things as us. It's because the cat can change into the thing we want the most!"
Sarah looks at me with an unfathomable expression. She won't believe me if she doesn't experience it for herself. Sarah seems to think about something. I suspect that my sister's thoughts are the same as mine. I make eye contact with her and we run out of the kitchen together. Greg still doesn't realize what happened just now, but I know, I know. I am going to catch that calico cat.
I don't realize that it's dark already until I open the front door. As I take my first step onto the ice-cold porch, I see a faint object within the shadows of the bushes move slightly, then disappear into the darkness. “Where are you going?” Sarah yells after me. “Don’t worry about me, just make sure that Greg takes his nap!” I respond as I prepare to cross the silent street. “I hope I’m right” I murmur. Each step I take intrudes on the silence that fills the neighbourhood. Cursing under my breath, I stand on the sidewalk across from my house and slowly turn my head. I can see the lights emitting from my house. I hope I know what I’m doing.
There is nothing else I want more in my life. I want to see my mother again. I will catch that calico cat, no matter what. Shivering as I walk on the side of the road, I continue to think to myself. It was then that it strikes me; I know where I have to go.
Everything is masked in a pure grey colour from the rain and fog. Big drops of cold rainwater keep falling on me. Of course, I don't have an umbrella, but it is not the time to care about that right now. I make haste down the street, following that black shadow shuttle back and forth between the streets and the brush. It is so fast that I don't even get a chance to get close to the calico cat. Several times, I lose the cat. However, every time when I wonder where it has gone, the cat appears again and again. It's as if the cat is leading me somewhere. After a long while of chasing the cat, the street becomes familiar. I suddenly realize that I am on the path towards the babbling fountain where the young woman was lying. I become even more horrified. My legs refuse to move quickly and my whole body is shivering. As I slowly approach the fountain, I see the body still lying there. The calico cat is licking the body. Few people pass by here normally, and it seems that those who did in the past day did not realize there was a body lying there.
Why didn't they see her? Isn't she in plain sight? When I reach the body, I stand over it, watching. Then something dawns on me; where is the blood? When I look over at the cat, it starts changing into a pool of blood near the body. What the heck is wrong with me?! I immediately focus my mind on my mother. I focus on my memories of her and hope that the calico cat will start changing with my thoughts. To my relief, it does!
I see my mother, standing in front of me. No, I must be making this up; there is no way this is actually happening. Then I hear her voice, so pure, like the sound of wind chimes.
"Honey, I've missed you," she says.
The tears, pour there and then.
"I've missed you too, Mom!" Seeing my mom is like a irreplaceable memory to me, and I sob uncontrollably.
"How have you been?" she asks in that soft voice that makes me think of vanilla cream. I can't believe it, my own flesh and blood mother is talking to me again!
"Things have been great! I mean, my marks have been a bit low these days but things are great right now!" She looks at me, a kind of distant look in her eyes, caring yet remote.
"I'm glad," she says.
Why isn't she more expressive? I mean, seeing your daughter for the first time ever since you left a while ago should make any parent happy or delighted... I think.
"So how have you been, Mom?" I ask. "You look great and you've lost weight. You can finally fit into those jeans you had trouble wearing!" She keeps smiling that solemn smile.
By now normal people would have assume something's wrong or try to think of a spiritual answer to this, but I don't care, it is my mother! However...
"So, Mom, where have you been, why haven't you called, why didn't you give us a message or something?"
Her lips turn down and she replies, "I'm sorry, but I've been busy for quite some time now."
I'm starting to feel ticked off now. How can she say that so casually?
"But why didn't you call!? Sarah was worried and Greg is too young to even understand, but eventually he'll want to know!" She just stands there, looking delicate, and then frowns slightly.
"I cannot answer, I am sorry." I definitely feel irritated with her at this point.
"Why not!? Just tell me! Please... I'll understand." The next thing that happens is a chain of revelations that shake my heart and jerk my soul.
She touches me.
Or rather, she tries to touch me, but when her hand should to touch my forehead, it goes through me.
Right there and then, I realize.
Why didn't I see it earlier? Seeing that dead woman's corpse, me and Sarah seeing Mom at home, Greg seeing that toy and everyone not seeing that dead woman's body and then me seeing my mom now.
I wanted to know something while I was chasing after that cat.
I wanted to know, to see if my mother was dead or alive earlier, then later just wished to see my mother alive.
Now I realize it.
What I was looking at...
Was the body of my mother in her last few moments of her beautiful life.
The rain is pouring now. It drips down my nose and hangs onto my eyelashes like dew on grass. I can't see anything, but the silhouette of my mother is gone. I'm all alone and there is nothing left to do but go home. My body feels fatigued, and my senses are numb from the cold night, but my mind is calm. Thinking about my mother has always angered me, but after tonight I will let go of my anger. I'll never know what had happened to her after she left us, but watching her die with my own eyes was heart breaking. After years of empty hope I had given up on my mother and anger had replaced my hope. I self pitied myself and my siblings, and my selfishness blinded me from seeing from a different perspective. Tonight's strange events may seem unbelievable, but it doesn't matter what others think since I know the real story now.
As I get back home, Sarah is at the door waiting for my return, together with the sensitive Greg.
"He just won't go to sleep," Sarah sighs, glancing at him.
"Tell me what happened, Tess," Greg says calmly, his eyes gazing at me as if he can tell if I lie to him.
He's too smart, I think. Knowing I won't get away easily this time, I decide to give away the truth.
Slowly, I start.
"All the things I told you about our mom were fake. Our mother is dead." I pause, checking Greg's expression. To my surprise, he doesn't seem shocked at all, although he looks sad.
After a while of solemness, he raises his head, focusing his eyes on mine once more, imploring me to go on.
"I'm sorry that I've been lying to you this entire time; I only wanted you to have a happy childhood!" My calmness breaks into a sob. "I'm sorry that I shoved you away from time to time. I know that you are too smart, I just did not want you to know the truth."
To my surprise, Greg looks straight up into my eyes with a smile on his lips. He is not at all scared, or even surprised. After a couple seconds, he finally speaks in this strange, imperturbable manner. "Sister, have you ever considered the irony of life, and the difference between dream and reality?"
"What?" I know he is an abnormal child, but this is just...
"Think about tonight. You saw numerous people walking near the fountain on a stormy night at 3 o'clock. You saw the magic cat appear and disappear; you desperately wanted to catch it and yet you suddenly forgot about it? You saw Mom's dead body, yet you did not realize it was her. You knew that Mom was dead for a long time, yet you were still angry with her for the past few years? And the cat shows us the image we want to see the most, yet it shows you the image of our mother lying dead on the ground? Think about it, sis. Did what you see tonight really exist, or was it all from your dream?"
"But how do you know they are not real?"
"By waking up. Tess! Tess, I'm hungry!"
I wake with a start. The sun is shining outside, pouring bright beams of light into the room. The sky is blue, without any trace of cloud. Greg is jumping up and down on the bed, laughing innocently. I laugh too. "It'll be alright," I tell myself. I get up from the bed, and walk into the kitchen. Sarah is watching a spinning peg-top on the kitchen table, and greets me warmly as I step into the kitchen with a gigantic smile.
"What's up?" she asks.
"Everything's fine." I hug her and Greg.
The peg does not stop spinning.
I watch the peg as it keeps on spinning faster and faster. Am I still sleeping? I ask myself.
I'm sure I just woke up a few minutes ago.
There is no way I am still in a dream.
I run to the washroom as quickly as I can, trying to wake myself up with some cold water. As I turn the faucet on, a thick red liquid flows out. IT SMELLS LIKE BLOOD! Now I'm really starting to get freaked out. This is not happening to me. There is no way that the tap water is blood, so I reach for the tap to have a taste. I never knew that blood could taste so bad. There are chills running down my spine. I quickly run out to call for my brother and sister.
"GUYS COME TO THE WASHROOM NOW!" I yell. "Turn the tap on Sarah."
Quizzically she turns the tap to the right. Clear, normal water comes from it. But how? I could have sworn that it had been blood only a minute before!
"Um, are you sure you're feeling okay?" she asks.
"Yeah, sure, I'm fine."
I don't really want to ask her about yesterday; had it all been nothing but a dream, or was some part of it reality? And if it all was nothing but a dream, then why am I still being haunted by these premonitions? The cat is gone, for now, but I remember its ghostly body, transforming into my mother when I wanted her the most. If the cat shows what we want the most, then why on Earth was there blood pouring from the tap, and why could only I see it this time?
Sarah has gone to do her own thing by now, but Greg is still sitting there, perched on the corner of the edge of the bathtub, staring at me. "Are you sure you're okay, Kitty?"
“Yeah, I’m fine, just a little dizzy.” I answer.
My brother continues to stare at me without saying a single word. I think this might be another dream. I have to find out what this was about, so I ask him, “What’s the meaning of the cat?”
He avoids my question by asking me another question.
“Do you believe that what you are seeing is the true world?”
I don't say anything. Suddenly, I am transferred to a white world. There are no washrooms, no houses, no people, and no end.
“Now,” I shout, “What is this place?!”
I shout before my brother finishes his question. “Do you believe this is the real world?”
I try to escape from this place, so I keep on running. But there is no end to this world, I give up.
“This is your dream,” Greg explains. “Everything you saw from your mother’s body was your dream, but it was a sign for you to figure out the reason for your mother’s death, and the secret of your family. It is your responsiblity to do it because your mother did for her entire life, now is your turn.”
Once again, I turn on the tap. Water flows out, clear water. 'I must have been hallucinating,' I think to myself.
"Oh Greg, look outside the window! What a cute cat out there! Let's go play with it!" 'A cat?! No! This cannot be true!' I shake my head.
"Sarah! Greg! Don't go to the cat! It's dangerous!!" I shout out as I run out of the bathroom into the backyard. Where is the cat? There is no cat! Not only is the cat gone, Sarah and Greg are gone too!! They have disappeared with the cat! Oh no! My lovely Sarah and Greg! How will I survive without you guys?? I must do something! I must find that cat! But how? Where is the lead? Right! Sherlock Holmes! I will ask him to help me find Sarah and Greg, he is able to solve any mystery!
"Wake up!! Kitty!! I'm so hungry!"
"Where is Mr. Holmes?!"
"What Holmes? You are not living in Conan Doyle's story!" It takes me a few seconds before I realize that it is Sarah who is talking to me now....so it was a dream after all....a dream within another dream...
I thought I could never get out of these dreams, because similar things had happened to me over and over again. Until now, that calico cat comes to my balcony and speaks to me.
“Your mother wants me to do this. She is suppressed under our leader Sekhmet because your mother had broke our unforgivable law. She fell in love with your dad who is a brilliant artist and a truly gentleman.” The calico cat blinks her gigantic green eyes and continues, “Sadly, your mother’s mission was only to pay the debt from your father’s gratitude, not to live happily ever after with him. So there was no way for her to stay and raise you."
“Then why didn’t she tell me any of this？What kind of debt she needed to pay for my father? Didn't they know each other from college?” I ask anxiously.
The calico cat sighs and raises her head.
“It was all because your father’s humane adoption of an all-white cat which was your mother’s incarnation. She was fascinated by your father’s talents on arts and his impeccable personality. Therefore she beseeched for Sekhmet’s exception to become a woman who could help with your father’s career. Your mother’s love to your father had augmented even more after they lived together, but Sekhmet thought your mother needed to go back and work for her. So she made this scene where people all saw your mother as dead. Now, kid, listen to me. You need to pack all your stuff and run away with me as soon as possible. You are the only hope of your mother, she needs you right now. Only your blood could get her out of Seknmet’s evil hands.” The calico cat wrinkles her brows with a worry face.
“How about my brother and sister? They will be so freaked out if they find I am not in my room tomorrow morning!” I ask in a hurry. “They will freak out, only because they were assigned by Sekhmet to make you think anything to do with your mother are just dreams!” yells the cat, “Now follow me and we will go rescue your mother.”
I look up at the crescent moon outside the balcony; everything is so gloomy, like my future. But I have no choice but to keep going...
But then and there, I stop myself. I collapse onto my floor and begin to cry. This has all been so confusing, I don't know what's real anymore. I sit here for a very long time, crying and murmuring, images flashing into my mind over and over again. What is real? I ask myself. I just don't know anymore. I lull myself into a deep sleep by sobbing and everything gets drowned out. I don't want to dream again, I just want it all to make sense. I tell myself this over and over again, until everything goes black.
"Come with me" I hear the cat say.
"Tess? Tess! Where are you?" I hear my sister scream.
"I miss her, Sarah." Greg cries.
"Come back to me, my precious daughter!" My mother begs.
Voices swirl into my unconscious thoughts threatening to take over my vulnerable, sleeping mind, threatening to further entrance me into this never ending madness. Until I hear one voice, so clear above the others.
"What's the truth?" It's my own voice, in my thoughts. And then...
I wake up. I'm lying on my floor. I can hear Sarah humming in the room next door. I can hear Greg laughing. I smile to myself. I know what's real. Losing my mother was hard, my mind will never get over it and it constantly tries to bring her back. But I know what's real now, it's what I have with me still. My brother and sister. They need me and they love me, they sustain me and I will do the same for them, even if it means putting aside my confused feelings for my mother so that they will be alright. My mother would've wanted me to take care of them, and that is what I will do.
Sarah comes into my room and smiles at me.
"Are you alright?" she asks me.
"Yeah, I think I am. Better than I've been in awhile." I reply.
Greg enters the room and bombards me with a massive hug. Sarah laughs and joins in. This is what's real.
The End.